Who taught you how to knit? When I read stories such as those from this knitter or this crocheter, I imagine their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren reading and cherishing same. I was lucky enough to catch a snippet in my family history about a great aunt using her spinning wheel to ignite a stove fire — the equivalent of a party trick for rural living in the 19th century! I imagine someone sharing the story in a stitching group or writing about it for a book. Stories such as these are as important to the history of fiber arts as the craft itself, and the stories are meant to be preserved and cherished. Jot your story down, stash it in the bottom of a knitting bag, in a special knitting book, or in the comments below. It’s what we’re supposed to do.

The world in miniature is trending, and check out what they’ve done in Castle Vale! I wish I could jump in there and play. Just think about this for a minute, and I offer no apologies for mentioning this either.

They’re are adorable. They are compelling. Knitters on the interwebs are nuts about sheep, and the shepherds are happy to oblige us. We’re fascinated by their adventures, and some of us live vicariously through their exploits. From Kentucky, the lake district of England, Yorkshire, Ireland and places you never imagined, shepherds are everywhere. I like the salty, seasoned shepherds and fall head over heels for the romantic leaders of woolly flocks. Find a blog, read an article and follow a shepherd on social media. This fantasy farm girl has learned a lot reading about the lives of shepherds and the sheep we love.

Yarn Crush is a new surprise-yarn-to-your-door subscription service. Joanna at Yarn Crush has given us 3 of her August subscription boxes to give away on the KnittyBlog. The box will contain at least one skein of specially selected yarn and a pattern designed to show off that yarn to it’s fullest. Here’s a sneak peek of the pattern in the August box:

Just a peek at a lovely lacy shawl.

Curious about Yarn Crush? Here are a few facts about the monthly subscription:

You’ll get one or two skeins of yarn

You’ll get a pattern designed especially for the monthly yarn

You’ll frequently get surprise extras

The total retail value of the your monthly box will always exceed your subscription price

Leave a comment on this post between now and midnight eastern time, Friday, July 31st. Three comments will be chosen at random to answer a skill testing question. If the commenter answers correctly they will win a Yarn Crush box. If you have already won a prize from us in the past year, please do give other knitters a chance. Giveaway value $50.00

Thanks to elkie456 for the picture of what looks to have been a delicious specimen.

My sister looked at me like I was nuts for being excited to find a black+white cookie at Max’s Deli in Highland Park, Il. “It’s just a sugar cookie,” she said. “Why are you so excited?”

I used to think the same thing. A big cookie, iced half in black and half in white. What is all the fuss about?

People, it is not what you think. The black+white cookie is not just a New York City specialty, it’s magical.

First of all, when authentically made, that cookie is not a sugar cookie. Ha! It’s a beautifully firm-yet-soft lemony sponge. It’s more like cake than cookie, but it’s firm enough to hold itself together. It’s light but satisfying, sweet but not overly so. Then there’s the icing. It’s crisp and snaps when you break the cookie. It’s, I’ve since learned, made with water, not milk or butter or cream. The texture of that thick layer of brittle icing on top of that soft, tart cookie is what makes this a magical experience.

Who invented this cookie is not certain. This article from the New York Times, circa Seinfeld in first run (when Jerry urged us all to “Look to the cookie” when dealing with the complex issue of race) suggests that it’s more than 100 years old. (That same article offers a recipe. You’re welcome.)

My first b+w was purchased at an unremarkable Manhattan bodega, wrapped in plastic wrap. I bought two, just because one never knows if this will be the best thing ever. Besides, how bad could any cookie be?

I opened it on a bus to upstate NY and took a bite and was instantly mad at myself for not buying a dozen. They were wonderful.

Our own Kate Atherley and her husband, Norman, love these things too, so when I found black+white cookies at the kosher Sobey’s (a big Ontario grocery chain) in Thornhill two nights ago, I almost drove a box directly to them. But, as we all learned the next day upon delivery, they’re…okay. There’s a bit of a snap, and a hint of the lemon, but they’re not quite right. Flip over the box, and the reason was revealed: Made in New Jersey.

There is a lot to share, celebrate, and learn today, and I’ll start with this little treasure:

Knitty’s beloved, funny, smart, and charming Kate Atherley gave birth to a brand new book about socks, AND she has an amazing lineup of classes on the horizon. She’s coming to a yarn shop near you, and I have it on good authority she would be delighted to sign a copies of her book! Way to go Kate!

If you’re in the midwest, check out Annie’s Craft Festival in Ft. Wayne, Indiana on October 30 – November 1. They’re offering classes taught by top instructors in crochet and knitting (and others craft fields).

And while we’re on the subject of classes and events, take a moment and check out upcoming state and county fairs in your area. If you’re like me, the hustle of back-to-school and changing seasons finds me sometimes overlooking local events. There’s always something happening in the fiber arts world.

Louet North America shared the news that their founder and creative director, Trudy Van Stralen, passed away after a long battle with a rheumatological condition. Her talents and gifts were abundant, and we applaud her legacy and contributions to the fiber arts industry.

This blog mentions yarn bombing with regularity, but this piece is special as it celebrates both the Pan Am games and the tradition of cycling in Milton, Ontario. To date over 50 bicycles have been yarn bombed. Best news of all, the projects are slated for donation and up-cycling for blankets in the community.

I leave you with this treasure that recently crept across Knitty’s radar screens. A savvy UK knitter and author of the blog Chop’kins wrote a nifty post about seamless buttoning worked as you knit. Catherine likens this technique to Elizabeth Zimmerman’s unventing, and we wanted to share this intriguing technique. It’s pretty smart and right up the alley of those of us who loathe seaming and sewing.

Have you noticed that commercial top has a direction? I poo-pooed the directionality of top for a long time, “It’s processed by a machine, it shouldn’t make that much difference.” But I have found several times when wrestling with a particularly feisty piece of top , if I spin from the other end, the smoother end, it is much more amenable to being spun.

It’s one of those things that I forget about until I really need it. It would be easy to brush my hand along a piece of top before I spin to check which way feels smoother, but I usually forget.

Natural BFL top, smooth direction left, roughed up right.

I took a few quick pictures of different tops that I’m spinning now. One after I brushed my hand along the top in the direction that smooths the fiber and one directions that discombobulates the fibers. In the natural BFL above I can see the most difference. With the natural fiber I can see the surface is more disturbed in the right photo.

When dye is added to the mix, it makes direction finding more complex. The act of dyeing, no matter how gentle a dyer is, moves the fibers around in the preparation. Look at the next two dyed fibers, it’s much harder to tell visually and by touch the smooth and rough direction of the top.

BFL/silk smooth left, rough right.

Dyed BFL, smooth left, rough right

With dyed fiber it’s harder to see the disordered fiber. The act of dyeing moves around the edge fibers a lot. I have to look more in the middle part of the piece of top than the outside edges to see that the fiber is disturbed in the right side of both photos. When I’m checking dyed fiber, sometimes I have to close my eyes to really focus on the feel of the top to find the direction.

Dyed Merino/silk smooth left, rough right

Sometimes spinning with the direction of a piece of top makes no difference and sometimes for me it can make the difference between blissful spinning and frustrated spinning.

When I moved to my new neighborhood, I did something uncharacteristic. I turned to Facebook. What resources did it have for me?

Turns out, lots. Neighborhood pages where any local occurrence is dissected and analyzed, complaints about dog poo and unshovelled sidewalks and noise. New businesses are celebrated; old ones mourned when they close. It’s fascinating.

And then there are the Buy and Sell pages. THOSE are my newest obsession. Neighbors offload the stuff they’ve bought to other neighbors, usually at ridiculously low prices, just to get them out the door. I’ve bought (both my air conditioners are less than a year old, and were less than $100 each) and sold (the old Knitty macbook pro just went out the door today). It’s better than eBay or Kijiji or Craigslist. If you have something good to sell, it will be GONE in a flash (my laptop sold in an hour) with no fees. The biggest problem? No-shows. It’s worth the risk.

Designer Hunter Hammersen was robbed. Her person is safe and her home is safe, but her loss was large and expensive after someone pirated and sold her gorgeous patterns on Etsy without authorization. Hours upon hours of intellectual and creative property (more hours than most of us can imagine) were sold without her permission or knowledge and to someone else’s benefit. She blogged about it eloquently and launched a rally cry for support on social media. Designers and authors make a living with their craft, and they work diligently to provide us with quality work for just and reasonable compensation. Please buy your next pattern from reputable sources and know that if you see a deal that is too good to be true, it is probably a rotten egg.

The knitting cabaret A Stitch in Time premiered at the Regina Fringe Festival last weekend, and I’m pretty geeked out over the entire concept. Melanie Gall wrote the cabaret about the history of knitting in song and war, and her show sounds like a great time. She’s on the road and will be in Edinburgh next month.

Susan Crawford has undertaken an inspiring project about the history of knitted garments in Shetland. She posted her project on the crowdfunding site publush.com and (as of this writing) has surpassed her £12,000 goal (135% funded)! Her book is slated for publication in November and will be available in both hard copy and electronic formats. I’m adding it to my wish list now.

Credits to my mama who brought this particular article to my attention earlier this week (the original piece was published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1946). I fell in love with the sisters Walker, who lived in a log cabin constructed when Abe Lincoln was practicing law. They thrived through hard work in the Smoky Mountains, growing their own wool, spinning, knitting and living off the land. It’s easy to romanticize their lives while I’m sitting in my air-conditioned home on a 100F day, but I sure enjoy doing it!

Do you measure the same way while you are spinning as you do when your yarn is finished? I don’t. While I’m spinning I use a Spinner’s Control Card and match my wpi again a line. It’s so quick and I’m just looking for an ish measurement. I do have to admit that the 5 year old in me loves the retractable cord it comes on. I always wanted one of those big retractable janitor keychains when I was a kid.

When my yarn is finished I either wrap or roll onto a wpi gauge. I used to be a wrapper but now I’m a roller. Which means, I move the gauge not the yarn. I find that I am less likely to pull and stretch the yarn if I roll, especially if I’m in a hurry. Or if I have a suspicion that my yarn is the wrong wpi and I’m tying to make it work.

I did a measuring web seminar with Interweave yesterday. It will be available to buy as recording tomorrow on the Interweave site. It’s an hour’s worth of how-tos and tips on measuring handspun yarn. If you’re new to measuring or need some reminders on just how to do it all, you might finds this useful!